In telephone systems, a system for transmitting caller identification information such as the caller""s identification information such as telephone number and name has been in existence for several years. This caller ID (hereafter sometimes referred to as CID) information such as name and telephone number is used in many application processes running on computers in various formats and for various purposes. In many applications such as point of sale computer processes, the telephone is used to take orders and a computer is used to process order information including the information which is already in the caller ID information received by the telephone. A need exists for a telephone system which can receive and decode the caller ID signals into alphanumeric information and format them to a format useable by the computer process and export the caller ID information to the computer process to save the time and labor of asking the caller his or her name and telephone number and retyping that information into the computer.
Prior art systems directed at point of sale or caller ID processing include the following U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,394 to Roach et al, filed Feb. 25, 1994 based on a parent application filed Sep. 10, 1992, teaches a main processor with a database of custome identification information and merchandise information located in a warehouse, and a pen-based processor at the point of sale coupled to the main processor. The pen-based processor is used to manually enter a customer number and a merchandise identification number. This information plus delivery method are transmitted to the main processor to build a sales transaction record and to effectuate delivery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,680 assigned to ATandT by Karpicke teaches a caller ID telephone with a caller ID based directory of telephone numbers which automatically adapts its directory entries for changes in area code where the telephone is located. The telephone stores all area codes of incoming calls along with the telephone number. The user initializes the phone with his or her area code each time the area code in which the phone is located changes. When a request to dial a stored number is received, the phone compares the home area code to the area code of the number to be dialed to decide whether or not to include the area code of the number to be dialed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,839 assigned by MCIC Corporation by Katz, filed Sep. 14, 1994 teaches a telephone based system using caller ID data and a computer with employee and telephone location databases for tracking the arrival and departure times of field based employees at client jobsites. Employees call in to the computer and enter their employee identification numbers which are used to access an employee database to determine if the call is authorized. Caller ID data is used to determine where the employee is located using the telephone location database. Records of calls with time and date stamps are stored. The records are used to generate reports which are used to track the movements of employees.
Some special applications of point of sale processing such as in processing pizza orders received by telephone require different processing of carry-out versus delivery orders. The point of sale computer process needs the name and telephone number of the customer, but there are special codes which are appended to the name or telephone number of the customer to indicate whether the order is carry-out or delivery so that scheduling of a delivery vehicle, if necessary, can be efficiently effectuated. In the prior art, telephone order takers had to ask the customer for their name and telephone number and manually enter this information via a keyboard coupled to the point of sale terminal along with the special code that specified the delivery option. This slowed down the process of taking orders and was subject to human error. Thus a need has arisen for a system which can automatically format caller ID data into a format needed by another computer process, append any special codes needed with the caller ID information and export the formatted caller ID data to the point of sale or other computer process.
In a first embodiment exemplifying the genus of the invention, a caller ID decoder or telephone with caller ID decoding capability is coupled to a telephone line from the central office and is coupled via a serial or parallel bus to a computer having in execution thereon an application process which needs name and/or phone number information as part of the data it processes to do some function. The caller ID decoder or the caller ID decoder portion of the telephone includes a caller ID detector/decoder chip, a display for displaying caller ID information, a display driver coupled to the display, a microprocessor coupled to the caller ID detector and the display driver and a UART or parallel bus driver coupled to the microprocessor. In operation, the caller ID decoding circuitry detects the presence of a ring signal and receives any caller ID signals sent. The caller ID decoder then decodes the signals into alphanumeric information and transfers it to the microprocessor which displays the caller ID information on the display. The microprocessor then reformats the caller ID information into one or more strings of the format used in the application process which needs the caller""s name and/or phone number. Optionally, the microprocessor also adds any special codes as suffixes or prefixes to the reformatted strings. After all reformat and/or special code additions, the microprocessor in the caller ID decoder or telephone with caller ID capability sends the processed data to the application process which needs it.
In a specific embodiment constituting a species within the genus of the invention, a caller ID processing function is added to the complex business telephone system described herein to aid in point of sale processing of restaurant orders. In this system, a PEU with a caller ID circuit detects an incoming call and notifies a CSU central processor through a host adapter. The CSU orders the caller ID circuit to arm itself to receive caller ID data. The CSU then polls the caller ID circuit and collects any caller ID data received. The CSU then determines if valid caller ID data has been received and commands one or more extension phones designated in a routing table for receiving orders to ring. After one of the extension phones is answered, the CSU sends the caller ID data to the extension phone which was answered for display or sends a message that no caller ID data was received. After the caller ID data, if any, is displayed on the extension phone, a microprocessor in the extension phone reformats the caller ID data into one or more alphanumeric strings having the format needed in an application process running in a point of sale terminal. In the special case of restaurant orders where either carry-out or delivery are delivery options, the extension phone processor also adds a prefix code specifying whether the order is to be delivered or is a carry-out order that the customer will pick up. This special prefix code is added when the order taker who answered the extension phone presses either the take out or delivery button on the phone. After the caller ID data has been added and any special prefix or suffix code has been added, the processed caller ID data is transmitted to the point of sale terminal via a serial bus coupling the extension phone to the point of sale terminal.